Job openings (JOLTS) April 2026
Job openings reached their highest level in nearly two years in April, while hiring fell sharply, according to a government report released Tuesday that showed demand rising but also slowing hiring in the labor market.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that current employment reached 7.6 million for the month, an increase of 731,000 from the previous month, the highest level since May 2024. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones were looking for 6.8 million open positions on the BLS. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.
The increase in job openings has pushed available jobs above the total number of unemployed workers. The ratio of open positions relative to workforce size increased by 0.4 percentage points to 4.6%.
By industry, nearly all job openings came from the professional and business services category, adding 668,000 positions; This is a possible indicator of the impact of AI on labor demand. 89,000 people were added to health services and social assistance, which are the biggest locomotives of employment creation. Financial activities saw a decrease of 134,000. Most other categories reported little change.
While open positions increased, hiring rates decreased.
Companies hired a total of 5.12 million workers during the month; With a decrease of 419,000 people compared to March, the rate fell to 3.2%, or a decrease of 0.3 points. But layoffs and layoffs also fell by 192,000 to 1.7 million. The level of turnover, worker mobility and confidence in finding a new job fell by 183,000 to just under 3 million, the lowest level since August 2020.
Broadly speaking, the report reflects the ongoing low hiring and low-fire environment that has characterized the labor market since early 2025. Weekly jobless claims have remained low except for brief spikes, while the unemployment rate has barely budged at 4.3%.
“The labor market remains mostly stable for now. With the turnover rate and layoff rate slowly decreasing in April, neither employees nor employers are in a rush to make moves.” Matthew Martin, senior U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, said in a note. “The US/Israel-Iran war will test the labor market. Weak household spending and uncertainty will likely affect firms’ hiring intentions.”
Federal Reserve officials are watching JOLTS numbers for signs of a stagnation in employment. Central bankers spent much of last year worrying about weakness in the labor market but have since shifted their concerns to the effects of inflation due to tariffs and rising energy prices. The Fed is expected to meet at the end of this month and keep interest rates steady.
